Hope Springs Eternal
by BlueSunflower
Summary: It was springtime and the flowers were blooming, although Sam couldn't really see them in the dark.


Title: Hope Springs Eternal  
Characters: Sam, Andi, Devil  
Rating: G  
Spoilers: Not really. There is one mention of a new character introduced in 2x01 A New Hope, but no real details.  
Disclaimer: I wish I owned this show. Desperately. It would already be renewed. For now though, I guess I'll have to settle for this fic.

A/N:

ETA: Please help save Reaper. It's very much in danger of cancellation right now. Click on my profile to find out all the simple ways you can help. Thank you.

* * *

It was springtime and the flowers were blooming, although Sam couldn't really see them in the dark. It didn't matter. He knew they were there. As he sat alone quietly rocking on the lawn swing, the irony did not escape him that even something as simple as a flower was allowed to live its life in the sunny and bright spring of hope and new beginnings, instead of the desolate winter of death and despair.

The stars twinkled brightly above, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. It was such a beautiful night, he mused; then looked down in distress, feeling out of place within the peaceful atmosphere. A gentle breeze flitted past, and he wrapped his newly ruined suit a little more tightly around himself. It had been his best outfit, chosen to impress Andi, but that plan had been ruined the moment he'd put the jacket on and turned around.

Only to find himself no longer in his room, but in a dinky – not to mention dark – hole in the wall restaurant. A booming voice happily greeted him as he recognized the one being he most did not want to see. The Devil sat at a rather small table, with an older, slightly balding man next to him. A third chair sat empty and the Devil gestured Sam to take it. Resigning himself to the fact that his girlfriend would once again end up waiting at an expensive restaurant for a boyfriend who would never show, he sighed, walked over, and sat down. With a huge beam of pride, the Devil introduced his "bounty hunter extraordinaire" to his "newest acquisition."

Dinner had been quite boring, which was expected. Sam spent his time formulating the partial truth he'd give to Andi about his disappearance. He never liked telling her the full truth. Despite her protestations, Sam rather thought she wouldn't always handle well some of his times spent in the Devil's company. There was no way, for instance, that she would ever learn about the zamboni.

What was curious, however, was how much the Devil seemed to be enjoying dinner, which was odd since Sam was pretty sure the Devil didn't really care about the man. After all, the Devil didn't care about anybody. But the guy had seemed nice, if a bit hapless. His wife had recently left him, his children were nowhere to be found, and his restaurant was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. It wasn't surprising the man had sold his soul for a better life while he was still alive, but Sam remained silent about the incredibly disastrous decision. After all, why make it worse for him, learning about the horror that awaited at the end? Sam couldn't be that cruel, so he had made an extra effort to politely smile and be pleasant all evening.

Struggling through the boredom, however, had taken quite a toll on him. So when one of the waiters walking past abruptly tripped and spilled a rather large plate of pasta over him, he didn't hesitate to grab the opportunity to momentarily escape, even if it meant his best suit was now ruined.

...that is, until after he'd returned from his trip to the restroom to catch the guy smiling happily, a pen in his hand, and the Devil beaming as he rolled up a scroll of parchment.

Sam had felt his breath leave him completely.

The real pain, however, hadn't started until after the guy had gone. The "recent acquisition" had been the _restaurant, _not the man. It seems that despite his troubles, he had still been wary about selling his soul. Sam had struggled not to show his horror when the Devil happily congratulated him about how his behavior during dinner had been what sealed the deal. It had given the man hope that his future enslavement would be as easy as Sam's. Once the Devil recognized he had his catch, the waiter had been tripped on purpose. The guy had signed the contract the second Sam had left the table.

Immediately fleeing, he still heard the Devil's final words ring in his ears. "I never could have done it without you, kiddo!"

Reflecting on the swing hours later, he realized that _this_ was the moment when he needed to give up all hope of escaping his fate. After all, what was the point of getting out of his contract, if he was only going to Hell anyways? The Devil would always trick him into these situations; Alan still refused to help; and despite Tony's insistence that there is a bigger plan, Sam knew it wasn't like God was looking out for him. After all, He had allowed the Devil to own an innocent soul. Sam had long accepted that either God had forgotten he existed - or more likely, he thought, He had never cared in the first place. Sam's destiny had been set in stone long before he was born, and he needed to accept it. Although what crime he'd committed to deserve this punishment, he hadn't yet figured out

Interrupting his thoughts, a soft voice came to him in the darkness. "Hey."

Andi was gorgeous. She had obviously dressed to impress him as much as he had for her. Sam's heart grew even more heavy as he watched her walk over to him, teetering on the grass in her heels. Once his only hope for a normal life, he now suspected she might be a punishment too. Sam was sure one day she would finally wise up and leave him, and his bounty hunting life, behind. He knew the punishment came from the deep anguish of knowing about what could have been, the life he could have had, and the bright future he will never get.

He smiled at her anyways. "You look amazing."

She gave a gentle smile in return as she sat down beside him. "So do you." Frowning, she noticed the stain on his jacket and asked, "What happened?"

He shrugged, brushing her off. "It's nothing."

Concern etched across her face. "Baby, you're freezing. How long have you been out here? Didn't you see my car? When you didn't show up after two hours, I came here to wait for you." Realization seemed to dawn on her quickly though as she gently reproached, "Or maybe you _did_ see it."

Sam found he couldn't answer. The overwhelming sadness suddenly threatened to overcome him, so he avoided her gaze and looked up at the stars. He fought the tears forming, as he watched a meteor streak across the sky. As if reading his thoughts, Andi leaned over and gently kissed him. He felt her arms wrap around him as she pulled him close, and he rested his head upon her shoulder. As soft as the wind, he heard her say, "I know, honey. I know."

They sat in silence for awhile, until utterly defeated, Sam finally whispered, "I'm sorry about tonight, Andi."

Kissing his forehead, he knew she meant it when she promised, "Everything will be all right, Sam. It will all be okay. We'll get through this together."


End file.
